May 25, 2022

Dear Members of the Drexel Community,

This morning, I am beside myself with horror, anger and grief over yesterday’s mass shooting at an elementary school in the south Texas town of Uvalde that took the lives of 19 young children and two adults.

While our hearts go out to the survivors of this terrifying massacre, to the devastated parents and family members of the students and staff, and to the community of Uvalde, we recognize that thoughts and prayers will never bring those murdered children and adults back. Nor will words of comfort and condolence do anything to stem the epidemic of gun violence that should have been treated as a major public health crisis a decade ago.

What is shocking is the degree to which we are no longer surprised to see a news alert of another mass shooting appear on our phones. We need to rapidly enact effective laws and measures that promote public health and protect our citizens from violence. We can and must do better; otherwise, the loss of lives each day will continue unabated and leave thousands of loved ones devastated beyond comprehension.

I also encourage you to create spaces at work and at home to process the emotional toll this has taken on so many of us, and to consider ways that we can forge a critical path toward common sense solutions and a dramatic improvement in our laws to promote public safety and public health. I plan to do so because I really have had enough.

Sincerely,

John Fry
President